February 2012: POINT-KNOW-BUY

Smartphone-toting consumers are embracing a world in which they can find out about (and potentially buy) anything they see or hear, even if they don’t know what it is or can’t describe it in words. POINT-KNOW-BUY will reshape consumers’ info-expectations, search behavior and purchasing patterns. We check out the drivers, from smartphones to the emerging visual tech ecosystem. With examples from brands like Google, Heinz, Adidas and Amazon...

February 2012: POINT-KNOW-BUY

1.
trendwatching.com, independent and opinionated, is one of the world’s leading consumertrends firm, relying on a global network of hundreds of spotters. Our trends, examples andinsights are delivered to 160,000 business professionals in more than 180 countries.More information at www.trendwatching.com *As with so many digital consumer trends, the (always-in-your- pocket-if-not-in-your-hand) smartphone is a big driver, and so is the coming together of a ‘visual’ tech ecosystem (everything from QR codes to better visual search) that will fuel full-blown POINT- KNOW-BUY. So, a deﬁnition: POINT-KNOW-BUY definition: With textual search and information now abundantly available to most people most of the time, the race is on to make instant vis- ual search and information ubiquitous too. Any real world objectSmartphone-toting consumers are embracing a world in which (if not person) will soon be able to be ‘known’ by on-the-go con-they can ﬁnd out about (if not buy) almost anything they encoun- sumers equipped with smart phones, which can be pointed atter out in the real world, anytime. Learn from the brands already anything to retrieve/ﬁnd related information on a whim. And yes,capitalizing on this trend, then get going! some commerce may follow from that as well ;-)We ﬂagged POINT & KNOW as one of our 12 Crucial ConsumerTrends for 2012, but now here’s a full Trend Brieﬁng showing CAVEAT AND THE FUTUREhow POINT-KNOW-BUY will reshape consumers’ info-expectations, search behavior and purchasing patterns. POINT-KNOW-BUY is still an emerging consumer trend. The de- sire for ever-present, easy-to-access information is there, but it’sNow, that consumers crave information is nothing new. Informa- important to remember that many of the technologies listed op-tion and knowledge give consumers power, control and cer- posite are still developing, and there is still some way to go beforetainty (or at least the illusion thereof). Therefore they will forever the process becomes ubiquitous, seamless and (most impor-be in demand by consumers searching for the best of the best. tantly) reliable.Equally important, the discovery aspect of information adds a funfactor too. Indeed consumers’ INFOLUST will only be truly satisﬁed when: • It becomes possible to POINT-KNOW-BUY almost any “Discovery will no longer be visual object – not just designated ones, or those with limited to text search” codes.After a decade of near-obsessive Googling, instant access to • The software is seamlessly integrated into devices, andinformation with the right (textual) input is now expected, a way of doesn’t require dedicated apps.life. The next frontier is visual info-gratiﬁcation: consumers ac-cessing information about objects encountered in the real world, • Image / audio recognition is able to cope out and aboutin more natural ways and while on-the-go, simply by pointing in the real world of poor lighting, background noise andtheir smartphones* at anything interesting. awkward angles.And just as ‘going online’ is no longer limited to sitting in front ofa computer (at a desk!), discovery will no longer be tied to textsearch. People will be able to immediately ﬁnd out about (andpotentially buy) anything they see or hear, even if they don’t knowwhat it is or can’t describe it in words.You are reading a PDF version of “POINT-KNOW-BUY” (www.trendwatching.com/trends/pointknowbuy)

2.
We’re getting there though, as shown by the examples below. Butﬁrst the tech platforms of the now and the future that will enablefull POINT-KNOW-BUY: ExamplesTech Platforms: Let’s start with the ‘knowing’ part of POINT-KNOW-BUY:A quick round up of some of the technologies fueling POINT- WordLensKNOW-BUY:1. QR CODESAfter trying hard for years, QR codes are ﬁnally breaking intomainstream consumer consciousness, although they are in dan-ger of being superseded by the newer, often more natural tech-nologies below.2. AUGMENTED REALITYThe addition or overlaying of digital content onto the physicalworld (as seen through a screen). To date, most augmented reality(AR) apps (such as Wikitude) have relied on a phone’s GPS andcompass sensors to ‘guess’ what a user is looking at, but newerand more powerful visual search AR technologies are beginningto appear (as below). WordLens is an app that enables users to translate printed text (such as menus or signs) from French or Spanish to English (and vice versa) via the iPhone’s camera.3. ‘TAGGING’A host of applications are now available that can pick up on in-visible markers in objects or sounds in order to trigger information Schiphol & Charles De Gaulle Airportsor actions. Check out Blippar’s or Aurasma’s interactive maga-zine covers to get an idea of where this is heading.4. VISUAL SEARCHThe future of POINT-KNOW-BUY. Rather than trying to determinewhere a user is, ‘smart’ image recognition technologies (likeGoogle Goggles or Layar Vision) attempt to identify the actualobject in the viewﬁnder in order to search or deliver additionalcontent. So pointing one’s camera at an image of the Eiffel Towerwill have the same result as pointing it at the real thing. Recognizing that many Chinese passengers are not proﬁcient in English, and wanting to roll out the RED CARPET, Amsterdams Schiphol Airport and Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport launched a a mobile app in January 2012 speciﬁcally designed to help Chinese navigate around the airports. Users can point their phones at 750 signs in Paris CDG Airport and 250 signs in Am- sterdams Schiphol Airport to obtain a Chinese translation. The app also offers airport information in Chinese and a translation of maps to the departure lounges.You are reading a PDF version of “POINT-KNOW-BUY” (www.trendwatching.com/trends/pointknowbuy)

3.
Leafsnap GPS Rangefinderleafsnap is a free app that utilizes visual recognition technologyto enable users to identify species of tree by taking photographsof leaves. Keen golfers can take advantage of Golfscapes GPS Range-Skymap ﬁnder. The app uses a combination of GPS and augmented real- ity so that when a golfer holds their iPhone or iPad up with a view of a course, markers display the distance they are from hazards and the green. The software costs USD 19.99 and works on over 37,000 courses worldwide. Find My FaceGoogle’s Skymap continues to be a great POINT & KNOW show-case, by enabling users to point their phones at the sky to dis-cover details about the objects or constellations they look at. StarChart and Star Walk are similar apps for the iPhone. Indeed everything is becoming KNOWN, even people: Created by Carnegie Mellon University, PittPatt is a facial recognition tool. PittPatt was acquired by Google, and is behind Google+ Find My Face. Launched in December 2011, the feature automatically suggests who people are in users’ photos. Scary? Perhaps. Inter- esting? Deﬁnitely.You are reading a PDF version of “POINT-KNOW-BUY” (www.trendwatching.com/trends/pointknowbuy)

4.
And of course there’s an audio aspect to POINT & KNOW as well: POINT & KNOW technologies can also easily be applied to be- come POINT & KNOW-HOW TO:Shazam Aurasma Aurasma, an app developed by Autonomy (recently bought by HP for over USD 7 billion), delivers object-driven augmented real-The pioneering Shazam, which enables users to identify any ity. The company recently released a video showing how userstrack they hear wherever they are, announced in September 2011 could view real-time instructions of how to wall-mount a TV, onits users were tagging over one billion songs a year, and the serv- the wall itself.ice would offer unlimited free tagging. MetaioWeBIRDWeBIRD allows anyone with a smartphone to record a bird’s call,submit it wirelessly to a server, and (after a few seconds) receivea positive ID on the species of bird. WeBIRD hopes to be avail- Metaio showcased an augmented reality guide to changingable to the public in time for spring migration in 2012. printer cartridges (perfect for consumers staring blankly at the inside of a printer wondering where ‘Door B’ could be ;-).You are reading a PDF version of “POINT-KNOW-BUY” (www.trendwatching.com/trends/pointknowbuy)

5.
SkinScan Blippar Heinz launched an ‘augmented reality recipe book’ using Blip- par’s technology. Users of the app can point their camera at a bottle of the brand’s eponymous Tomato Ketchup to see recipes pop-out of the bottle.POINT & KNOW also helps facilitate DIY HEALTH, one of our 12Crucial Consumer Trends for 2012: Skin Scan is an app whichallows users to scan and monitor moles over time, with the aim ofpreventing malignant skin cancers. The app tells users if a visit totheir doctor or dermatologist is advisable.VizWizAnd here’s an innovative twist to POINT & KNOW for the visuallyimpaired: VizWiz is an app that allows people to help blind users‘see’, by telling them what objects are that theyve taken a pictureof.You are reading a PDF version of “POINT-KNOW-BUY” (www.trendwatching.com/trends/pointknowbuy)

6.
And for when technology fails, there’s always CROWDSOURCED But for a real glimpse of where POINT-KNOW-BUY is heading, it’sPOINT & KNOW: worth looking at how the big tech players are rolling out even ‘smarter’ image recognition and visual search:WhereToGet.It Google Goggles Google Goggles allows users to search the web by taking pho-French site WhereToGet.It allows users to post photos from the tos of objects. In fact, in the latest update, continuous shootingstreet, magazines, blogs or ﬁlms, and ask the community where mode users no longer even have to take a photo of an object.featured items can be purchased. Instead the app continuously scans everything in the viewﬁnder, and automatically shows relevant results as it recognizes objects.fashiontag Layar & Telefonica In September 2011 Layar announced they were partnering with Telefonica, to bring together the visual search capabilities of the start-up with those being developed by the telecommunicationsBelgian magazine Flair launched their fashiontag Facebook app giants I+D research lab. The technologies are similar to Googlein March 2011. The app enables users to tag photos of friends’ Goggles, and allow users to access digital information attachedclothing, and ask where they bought it. to objects without the need for special tags or packaging. The companies have not yet announced how they will roll out the technologies to consumers.You are reading a PDF version of “POINT-KNOW-BUY” (www.trendwatching.com/trends/pointknowbuy)

7.
Not surprisingly, adding the ‘BUY’ element directly to visualsearches will become a common feature for big retailers in the Snooth Wine Pronext 12 months:Amazon Flow Wine lovers can use the Snooth Wine Pro app to snap pictures of wine labels which are matched against the site’s database. Users can view reviews, ﬁnd local stockists, check prices and purchase online.Amazon’s Flow app released in November 2011, also featurescontinuous scanning technology. As soon as users point theirphone at books, games, DVDs or CDs, information appears in- Adidas Originalsstantly; including media clips, reviews and purchase information.eBay Users of Adidas’ Originals iPhone app launched in August 2011, can take a photo of any Adidas sneaker and have it scanned against the brand’s range to ﬁnd the closest match, product in- formation and local stockists.In November 2011, eBay’s CEO John Donahoe announced thatimage recognition would be a key feature of eBay’s future mobileapplications. Users would be able to take photos of real worldobjects and ﬁnd similar items for sale on eBay.You are reading a PDF version of “POINT-KNOW-BUY” (www.trendwatching.com/trends/pointknowbuy)

8.
IQ Engines M-COMMERCEIQ Engines is a spin off from UC Berkeley and UC Davis whichprovides an image recognition platform. Alongside their own “POINT-KNOW-BUY unlocksoMoby visual search engine (similar to Google Goggles), thesoftware also powers the image search functionality of Best huge opportunities for trueBuy’s and NextTag’s mobile shopping and price comparisonapps. instant info-gratification” We don’t need to point out (pardon the pun) that POINT-KNOW- BUY is of course just one part of the much bigger trend of mobile commerce (‘m-commerce’). Smart business and marketing professionals will immediately recognize that POINT-KNOW-BUY unlocks huge opportunities for true instant info-gratiﬁcation, where consumers are able to learn and buy at the moment of discovery. POINT-KNOW-BUY can also make the purchase process more convenient and/or transpar- ent; from reviews and price comparison to smoother check-outs (QR-shopping windows anyone?). But that’s for another Trend Brieﬁng ;-)You are reading a PDF version of “POINT-KNOW-BUY” (www.trendwatching.com/trends/pointknowbuy)

9.
OpportunitiesWhile perhaps only the biggest brands or platforms (e.g. Wikipe-dia, Amazon, eBay) will have the range of content or products tobe able to satisfy any snap or scan, there will be endless oppor-tunities for any brand to cater to consumers endless lust for in-formation, for discovery, for NOWISM, for instant gratiﬁcation.Think practically: how can you add depth of knowledge andcommunicate stories, origins, price comparisons, reviews, e-commerce and so on? Anything that helps POINT-KNOW-BUYconsumers to be better informed, able to discover and act on thethings they encounter in the real world.Good luck!You are reading a PDF version of “POINT-KNOW-BUY” (www.trendwatching.com/trends/pointknowbuy)